Detail showing the Clinch river in Southwestern Virginia and North Carolina from the 1755 Mitchell Map
While visiting the HSWV's revolutionary war exhibit last year, a particular document exhibited from a private collection stood out.
"Mr. James Maxwell on Clinch...Dr.
1767
March 21st
To 1 mans fine Hatt...1/10/0
To 1 Silk neck Cloth...0/6/6
To 2 yds Ribband...0/2/0
To 1 pr of Garters...0/1/0
To 1 Horn Comb...0/0/6
To 1 pr of Stockings...0/7/6
To Cash Lent...0/6/4
Joseph Scott £ 2/13/6
Fin'Castle Sc/
The above account of Two Pounds Thirteen Shillings & Six pence were sworn to before me the 10th of August 1773
[signed] Stephen Trigg"
Maxwell's purchase of fairly ordinary and imported, perhaps even luxurious items while living near what had been only a scant few years earlier "the Extent of the English Settlements" (the headwaters of the Clinch River in modern Tazwell, Virginia) stood out as another example that even the edges of frontier were not destitute of the material world of the settlements.
Clinch River which flows into the Tennessee.
The items purchased will be expanded upon below:
To 1 mans fine Hatt...1/10/0
18th century Cocked hat from the Morristown NPS collection
Most 18th century men wore wool or fur felt hats, frequently "cocked" as shown above. Prices varied based on the type of fur used (racoon vs beaver and etc) and finishing details.
To 1 Silk neck Cloth...0/6/6
The silk neck cloth may have been a long rectangular piece of silk worn like a roller or simply a silk handkerchief worn around the neck.
To 2 yds Ribband...0/2/0
Ribbon from the Foundling Museum Collection
The ribbon purchased by Maxwell may have been for his wife, or perhaps to trim leggings for himself.
To 1 pr of Garters...0/1/0
18th century gartering and woolen tape from Montgomery's Textiles in America
Garters were worn by both men and women to assist in keeping stockings in place. Gartering was frequently made of woolen tape, and sometimes woven in patterns or phrases.
To 1 Horn Comb...0/0/6
Trade card of Thomas Hedges, comb maker. British Museum
To 1 pr of Stockings...0/7/6
The Stocking Merchant, 1759 Paul Sandby
Knit woolen stockings were commonly worn by men and women of all social status.
James Maxwell as well as his brother Thomas both served in the Virginia militia during Dunmore's war as well as through the Revolution, Thomas' conduct in the opening days of the former conflict with Israel Harmon drew the ire of Captain Dan Smith, for context I recommend reading Glenn Williams' "Dunmore's War."
Both James and Thomas Maxwell may have served at Fort Witten. The image above is form a 1927 reconstruction.
James and Thomas, as well as their brother George were in various militia companies including those of Montgomery and Washington County. In 1782, two of James' daughters were killed in an Indian attack. Several weeks later Thomas Maxwell would die while leading a party attempting to rescue the family of Captain Thomas Ingles who had been taken by a war party (Ingles himself had been captured by the Shawnee as a child, as well as his mother, Mary Draper Ingles). In a 19th century account, Thomas Maxwell was said to have been "conspicuous from wearing a white hunting shirt " when he was killed. Something as simple as a receipt for a few items can give us a tangible insight into the lives of these men and the world they lived in.
